W203 Servicing costs...

[Muppetz]

I rang up Leeds Mercedes yesterday for a quote for a B Service on my 07 W203 C200 CDI Sport Edition C Class and was quoted £438 inc VAT

I rang back again today to book it in... This time I was asked for the mileage as well (will be circa 35k by then, this will be the second service) and was now told the price would be around £650 inc Vat !

Apparently because this is its second service it will need an oil and filter change ... and this is not included in a normal B Service !

Came as a bit of a shock to me, I know Mercedes is a premium vehicle but £650 for a service seems a bit steep !

They do do discount for MBOC members though (10% off parts and labour) so I have v.quickly signed up for 2 years of that for £45...

 

[jaymanek]

sounds like a load of rubbish... B service includes normal filter changes..

 

[Dieselman]

He means ATF.

 

[Muppetz]

sounds like a load of rubbish... B service includes normal filter changes..

That's v.odd then - she was a young girl so may have made a mistake ?

Just thinking on - the car is an Auto, I wonder if it is a gearbox oil change she meant ?

 

[Muppetz]

He means ATF.

I'm guessing that is Gearbox oil then ? she just said oil and filter which is the bit that sounded odd, gearbox oil would make more sense ( you beat me to posting !)

 

[jaymanek]

Ahh makes more sense...

if i were in your position, I would get all these extras done by an independent and just ask them to do a bare bones B service.

 

[GeorgeA]

Is ATF required at 35k ? I have the same mileage and car is due an 'A' service soon don't think ATF change is necessary

 

[ddentrec]

My 4 year B service was almost £1000 from my MB dealer The quoted price was £450 but they 'forgot' to include the ATF, filter and plug change and other bits and bobs.

Thank god I had a Service Plus contract.

Oh, ask them to check your front suspension/wishbones/springs/bushes while they are at it. They should be knackered by now.

Re:

... I know Mercedes is a premium vehicle but £650 for a service seems a bit steep !

The MB brand is premium, not the car itself.

 

[verytalldave]

Gearbox oil is normally changed around 50K. Thats when I had mine changed in my W203.

 

[whitenemesis]

ATF at 45k for me.

 

[Ian B Walker]

£257 for a B service not far away from this computer (add £50 if 3353 atf used) and this includes brake pads and fluid change. Hasten to add this place does not touch cars in warranty etc.

 

[Rory]

MB's guidance (instruction?) is a one off ATF change at 60,000Kms (37,500miles) or 4 years, whichever is first.

I *think* the diesel fuel filter is changed at the same mileage too. If you look in the service book it tells you what's required although it's a right mish-mash of models, mileage and time. The ATF change may not be noted, that's a fairly recent ammendment.

 

[jeremytaylor]

Oh, ask them to check your front suspension/wishbones/springs/bushes while they are at it. They should be knackered by now.

Yes, I'm expecting words to that effect when mine goes in for a service tomorrow at 38k ...

 

[Muppetz]

MB's guidance (instruction?) is a one off ATF change at 60,000Kms (37,500miles) or 4 years, whichever is first.

I *think* the diesel fuel filter is changed at the same mileage too. If you look in the service book it tells you what's required although it's a right mish-mash of models, mileage and time. The ATF change may not be noted, that's a fairly recent ammendment.

Well that makes perfect sense, "the computer" apparently said that it needed oil and filter change if it was having B service at 35,000 miles which ties in with your comments above.

As for the instruction versus guidance - I suspect that if you failed to follow guidance then warranty on the gearbox would be compromised !

Thanks for all the comments - ddentrec will my bushes really need checking at 35k (and 16 months old) ? (are they warranty items ?)

 

[jeremytaylor]

Thanks for all the comments - ddentrec will my bushes really need checking at 35k (and 16 months old) ? (are they warranty items ?)

That's wishful thinking.

Wear and tear I'm afraid (coupled with weak/poor design/build?)

 

[Rory]

My 4 year B service was almost £1000 from my MB dealer The quoted price was £450 but they 'forgot' to include the ATF, filter and plug change and other bits and bobs.


Thank god I had a Service Plus contract.

Hmm...my car was 3.5yrs old (built Oct 04) and is on ServicePlus. When it had a B service that the dealer said would need ATF change. When I picked the car up they said they'd discovered that my car didn't need it - the requirement to change the ATF started on car a little later than mine, and ServicePlus therefore wouldn't pay for it (I'm sure the dealer didn't ask them).
The brake disks, which they'd noted as pitted and needing to be changed soon at the MOT a few mths before, were now fine.

Oh, ask them to check your front suspension/wishbones/springs/bushes while they are at it. They should be knackered by now.

In what way would that manifest itself? Just got back from a long trip in my car and really noticed that the car seemed to rock from side to side at steady speed on the motorway.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Worth shopping around, as some dealers are more willing to discount than others.

At the last service, the service advisor said that MB are taking a firmer line on what constitutes FMBSH, and 'additional work' items must not be completed by the dealer to be recognised in the event of goodwill repairs and the like.

You could say a dealer would say that, wouldn't they? Then again, we've seen MB is tightening it's corporate belt, with stricter approaches to Service Plus repairs and the like, so who knows?

 

[c240yaz]

Oh, ask them to check your front suspension/wishbones/springs/bushes while they are at it. They should be knackered by now.

That's highly unlikely at 35K miles. They last twice that at least.

Who told you that nonsense ?

 

[V8mate]

The MB brand is premium, not the car itself.

What a timeless quote; outstanding

 

[c240yaz]

35K miles is nothing. Only fluid and filter changes are required to be done and maybe brake pad replacements, no major items should in theory require to be replaced.

Unless the car has been really hammered ?